The Arrangement (2018) Season Two Has More Cards To Play

E! / The Arrangement

When The Arrangement first premiered on E! in 2017, the first element that drew attention from fans and the media was “the contract”. Those two words made almost everyone think of E.L. James’s series Fifty Shades of Grey; E! used the "S&M" phenomenon to even promote their series about an unknown actress Megan Morrison (Christine Evangelista) who signs on the dotted line to have a make-believe relationship in front of the cameras to benefit the most famous actor in the world Kyle West (Josh Henderson). While the two actually fall in love, Kyle’s ties to Scientology-esque mentor Terence Anderson (Michael Vartan) and the Institute to the Higher Mind tests their relationship much more than Megan could’ve ever dreamed. Coming back for its second season, any assumptions or comparisons to James’s series falls away as a more exciting premise of love, deception, and power unfolds for its leading lady.

Spoilers for the first and second season are included below – you’ve been warned!

5 Things To Look Forward to at MegaCon Orlando

MegaCon Orlando knows how to deliver geekdom to Orlando, Florida. Last year I had an opportunity to attend the exciting convention which brings in thousands of fans from all over to celebrate comics, gaming, sci-fi, anime, movies, and much more. The four day weekend is packed with fandom-tastic panels, vendors, and festivals, there is so much to see and do. This year I'm heading to the convention again and excited to see what the event has in store! From panels and celebrity appearances to indie artists, here are a few things I'm looking forward to at MegaCon Orlando!

Quick Reviews: Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018)

20th Century Fox

Diagnosed with stage four cancer after falling head over heels with the love of his life Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Wade Wilson's conned into becoming something he never wanted: a superhero. Duped by a mysterious recruiter Francis (Ed Skrein) who promises an experimental cure for cancer, Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is taken prisoner and his body is tortured into awakening mutant genes that cures his illness but leaves his body disfigured. And Francis isn't done yet: he also kidnaps Vanessa. There's only one thing left on Wade's mind: to do whatever it takes to save his girlfriend.

Deadpool is very much like the titular character: it's not like any superhero we've seen before. Unapologetic in its wisecracks and sarcasm, Ryan Reynolds's performance breaks the fourth wall and favors the deadpan humor he's developed throughout his career in Hollywood. The film is easily tailored to his comedic sweet spots, which isn't surprising because he was extraordinarily passionate about bringing this character to the big screen (especially after he was mutilated in Wolverine: Origins).

Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018) Trailer Reaction

After three years since his last action-packed flick, Tom Cruise is set to return for the sixth Mission: Impossible film. Familiar faces and new threats come to light this summer for Mission: Impossible Fallout. Honestly, it's not a proper summer at the movies without Cruise going rogue and performing deadly stunts to entertain his fans. When the trailer dropped for his adventure as Ethan Hunt, let's just say I was excited. It's time for another trailer reaction! SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

What A Strong Female Character Means To Me

Women are more than cardboard cut-outs. But that's not how they are portrayed in pop culture. One term comes up a lot when the media or a fandom want to describe them, and that's Strong Female Character. In fact, that label comes up so much, I'm at a point where I don't know what it means anymore except that if there's a poster of a heroine wielding a weapon "she's a bad-ass and I'm automatically supposed to love her".

Recently I started thinking about SFCs, and how they're stuck with a copy-and-paste-personality of one part brawns and two parts boobs, measured by a standard that keeps moving and yet stands still. If a heroine dismantles the system, she's automatically more interesting than the ones who stay behind to serve in politics or keep their families safe. If an independent bosslady falls in love, that's the only aspect of their life that matters. If the girl-next-door doesn't want anything to do with a guy, he'll convince her until she gives in. And so it goes. Too often SFCs are experts at falling into one trope or having one mission, but fail hopelessly at everything else in their lives. 

When I think of my favorite female characters, they come from all walks of life in fandom:  Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Okoye/Shuri/Nakia from Black Panther, all of the women from The Walking Dead, Uhara from Star Trek, Princess Leia, Rey, and Rose from Star Wars. And the list goes on and on. They take on unique roles, sometimes the hardest ones if the writing is deplorable, and explore different arcs of a story. But they have a few traits in common: they're personable, layered, and multi-faceted. And that's why I started figuring out - what is a strong female character anyways. How do you define Strong Female Character? Who are some of your favorites? I'd love to know in the comments below!

Ashley Eckstein's It's Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen Book Launch

Ask any Star Wars fan, especially of The Clone Wars, and they probably know the name of Ashley Eckstein and her voice for the popular character Ahsoka Tano. Same goes for female geeks of all ages who love the adorable and comfortable clothing line known as Her Universe. Having loved Her Universe and been following Eckstein on Instagram, I learned that she was going to be in Orlando for the launch of her book It's Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen. Though I prefer to stay inside my hut on Jakku, this wasn't an opportunity I was going to pass up! I hadn't even met her yet, and already she was pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Trailer Reaction

When we think of The Avengers, the originals like Iron Man and Captain America might be the first team members come to mind. As the Marvel cinematic phenomenon starts filling out their universe with Black Panther and Spider-Man, one tiny funny and heartwarming installment Ant-Man stole our hearts and continues to slip under the radar. After the depressing but exciting hellfire that was Avengers: Infinity War, we've been blessed with the adventurous, lighthearted sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp. Let's see what the gang is up to lately. Hold tight as we zoom into the new trailer! SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Throws Down the Gauntlet (spoiler free)

It all comes down to this. From Star Wars to Harry Potter, even Twilight, one film of several sequels inevitably ends up being responsible for "the beginning of the end". For Marvel, eighteen movies left a trail of breadcrumbs for its biggest cinematic villain over the past ten years, Avengers: Infinity War (and its sequel to-be-released next year) throws down the gauntlet like never before.

Loki's alien invasion, Ultron ripping apart Sokovia, and disagreements over the Accords were a walk in the park for the Avengers. Nothing has prepared Earth's Mightest Heros for Thanos (Josh Brolin), a dark lord who's been wreaking havoc across the universe determined to collect the Infinity Stones - gems that represent Time, Mind, Soul, Reality, Space, and Power. Once he possesses all six stones, he can wield their power with the snap of his fingers, and he has some deadly plans in mind once he succeeds. Spread out across Earth and space, our favorite superheros unite to put an end to his limitless power.

A Quiet Place (2018) rings in another exciting wave of terror

Platinum Dunes / Sunday Night

For the past few years nailbiting and bloodcurdling movies like The Witch, It, and Get Out have reinvigorated the horror genre. Though it's never been a favorite of mine, the latest suspenseful flick A Quiet Place's continues to make you think twice about where the genre will take us next.

This review contains spoilers - please read at your own risk.

Everything I Love About Captain America in Age of Ultron and Civil War

Marvel Studios

We started with his origin Captain America: The First Avenger where we fell in love with the kid from Brooklyn. His identity began to build in The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In the third part of this series, everything comes to a head for the Star-Spangled Man with a plan in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Civil War. In the next leg of his own series and the Avengers spin-off, Captain America is tested to stand up for what he believes in as always, but also starts to fail a little - being a superhero is not what it is cracked up to be. There's a real human cost to saving the world. Hope you enjoy!

Everything I Love About Captain America in The Avengers and The Winter Soldier

Marvel Studios

In my previous post about everything I love about Captain America, I focused mainly on Captain America: The First Avenger, which explored his origins as the kid from Brooklyn who became Captain America. After being frozen for seventy years and reintroduced into the 21st Century, the following movies The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier starts to unpack who Steve Rogers is without his super-patriotic alter ego. This second part is all about what I love about the man and the myth. Hope you enjoy!

Everything I Love About Captain America: The First Avenger

Marvel Studios

When you look at the Marvel franchise and its vault of superheros, the casting has been incredible so far. Rarely does an actor miss a beat from the larger-than-life comic book character they're playing, but there a few that stand out above the rest. As humble as Chris Evans is, just like his All-American alter-ego, he has been an incredible asset throughout his own installments and The Avengers films. Along with the direction and writing, Captain America has honestly my favorite character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the fate of his arc up in the air for the epic Avengers: Infinity War duology, here is an endless list of reasons why I love Captain America starting with Captain America: The First Avenger (the others will come in part two). 

Did your favorite moment make the list? Let me know in the comments below?